Are Red Vines Really Lead Vines?

Red Vines is voluntarily recalling some of its†black licorice twists after the product was found to have more than double the amount of lead recommended for pregnant women and children.

The California Department of Public Health says that pregnant women and children under 6 should consume no more than 6 micrograms of lead per day — the black licorice being recalled has a whopping 13.2 micrograms of lead.

Exposure to large amounts of lead can have serious consequences for several body systems, like kidneys, the central nervous system and the immune system. The FDA says that, for children in particular, “chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with impaired cognitive function, including reduced IQ, behavior difficulties and other problems.” More troubling still is that lead poisoning can be quite hard to detect in children.

Newsmax Health 10/31/2011 did an article on Black Licorice. If you are 40 or older, eating 2 oz of black licorice daily for at least 2 weeks could land you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, warns the FDA. FDA experts say the culprit in black licorice is a chemical called glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from the licorice root. It causes potassium levels to fall. When this happens, some people experience abnormal heart rhythms, as well as high blood pressure, edema (swelling), lethargy, and congestive heart failure. Restoring potassium levels can alleviate the problems.

Newsmax Health 10/31/2011 did an article on Black Licorice. If you are 40 or older, eating 2 oz of black licorice daily for at least 2 weeks could land you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, warns the FDA. FDA experts say the culprit in black licorice is a chemical called glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from the licorice root. It causes potassium levels to fall. When this happens, some people experience abnormal heart rhythms, as well as high blood pressure, edema (swelling), lethargy, and congestive heart failure. Restoring potassium levels can alleviate the problems.